Review: Counting Crows in Oakland

Even when the Counting Crows actually were a hot, young band – back in the days when most music fans used the word “digital” only in reference to their alarm clocks – the Bay Area rock group didn’t seem the part.

Instead, the Crows felt amazingly familiar and comforting, especially in an era, the early ‘90s, dominated by Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine and other groundbreaking alt-rock acts. You’d hear a Crows song, even for the first time, and it immediately seemed like one you’d been listening to for years.

That’s why it made sense when the Crows were asked to perform at Van Morrison’s induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in early 1993 – several months before the band’s debut, “August and Everything After,” was even released. Then “August” hit stores and it was like it was some lost chapter of the Classic Rock Songbook – one that might have been found in the pages near Morrison’s “Moondance” and the Band’s “Music from Big Pink.”

Thus, it should come as no surprise that the Crows’ music is aging quite gracefully. The band was born to be a classic-rock act and now – some 20 years after it first formed – it officially qualifies.

During its sold-out show on Monday at the Fox Theater in Oakland, the Berkeley band displayed all of the things that originally endeared it to fans. Adam Duritz, 47, remains a highly charismatic vocalist and his support cast, which includes a number of longtime Crows, is agile and strong. The music is still a mix of catchy riffs, dynamic beats, poetic lyrics and big pop hooks.

Most of all, the songs from “August and Everything After” can still capture and hold our attention. Conversely, in true classic-rock style, the band’s more recent songs can’t hold a candle to the old hits.

But perhaps that’s because the majority of these new songs aren’t really the Crows’ – the band is just borrowing them.

The group is touring in support of its sixth studio album, “Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation),” which is a collection of cover songs. Some of these renditions proved worthy in concert – notably, Gram Parsons’ “Return of the Grevious Angel” and Bob Dylan’s “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” – but most seemed like poor excuses for not playing more “August” material. Let’s just say that fans probably wouldn’t have been bummed if the Crows had substituted the cover of Coby Brown’s “Hospital” with “Omaha,” “Round Here” or “Rain King.”

The septet did kick off the evening in “August,” performing a satisfying version of the slowly burning “Sullivan Street,” but then quickly split for covers-ville. These covers ranged from forgettable (the Tender Mercies’ “Four White Stallions”) to passable (Sordid Humor’s “Jumping Jesus”) to rather intriguing (Parsons’ “Grievous Angel”).

Now, I fully understand that there is some rhyme and reason behind “Underwater Sunshine.” The Crows chose to cover songs and artists with relevance to the band’s history. Sordid Humor, for example, featured musicians who’d later join the Crows. Yet, a shared history doesn’t necessarily translate to a match made in cover-song heaven.

Yet all was forgiven by the time the Crows reached the main-set closer – “Mr. Jones,” the “August” standout that remains the band’s most highly accessible and addictive tune.

If you missed the Crows at the Fox, you have another chance to see these local heroes in the near future. According to Duritz, the band will perform this summer at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. The show date has not yet been announced, but keep checking www.apeconcerts.com for more information.

Jim Harrington

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From the mezzanine, I thought the 4/16/12 concert at the Fox Theatre in Oakland was disappointing. The sound system was awful. The guitars all blended together into a wall of buzz which drowned out Duritz’ vocals. His voice is a big selling point for the band and it was lost. Having gone to many Counting Crow concerts, I have never heard the sound so mediocre. This concert came no where close to the Counting Crows and Wallflowers at the Warfield in S.F. years ago.

Ali West

Kevin, your comments on the sound mimic my complaints of their show in Portland two nights prior. Vickry’s guitar drowned out the vocals and pretty much everything else. I have been to almost 20 CC shows and never experienced such poor sound mixing. The songs all had a strange familiar yet not-familiar quality from hearing so much guitar and so little of anything else. I assumed it was a problem with Portland venue but now I am wondering…?

erin meyer

Could not agree more with above comments. We were also on the mezzanine and ofen had to ask each other what we were hearing. The worst sound I’ve heard at a concert (many). The tickets were expensive and I expected more. Was it the venue, the system or just too much guitar? I love guitar but way too much noise and no voice. A shame since one of our group was treated to their first CC concert and she’s a longtime fan.

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